Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-01-22
The Fearful Ending of a Quarrel over
Two Dollars and Half-LOuls
Steen the Supposed Muir.
derer.
Steen Tries to Collect $3.50 from
stone and Threatens to Take IL
Out of His Hide.
The Sad End of Former Salt Lake
RepOrter-The Murderer Es'
capped in the Dark and Is
Still at Large.
Price Station, the Scene Of the MUIR
der, Thrown Into State of the
widest Excitement.

News was received by telegraph last
evening to the effect that Homer j.
Stone, young man well-known IN
journalistic and business circles through
out the Territory had been shot and
killed at Price Station on the ID. 4 Il. q.
road. Particulars could not be obtained
at the time, but the bare facts flew like
wild fire and it was not long before the
affair was the theme Of discussion on
every hand.
On the street this morning there were
many different versions given and the re-
ports were so mixed that the facts OF the
case had been almost lost sight Of when
the DEMOCRAT received the following
special telegram from the scene OF the
murder.
PRICE, Utah, Jan. 22.-Special to the
DEMooRATl: A quarrel occurred between
Homer j. Stone and Louis Steene at this
place at about o'clock, which resulted in
the death of the former. 1t appears that
Stone owed his cook $3.50, and that Steene
undertook to collect it for the cook. Meet
ing Stone in a saloon, Steene presented the
bill. Stone said he had no money. Steene
said:
Till TAKE IT OUT OF YOUR HIDE"
And pulled off his coat. Stone showed a
gun, but did not attempt to use it. Steene,
being unarmed, withdrew for the time but
| n lof nd ri e.,
say that he would kill Stone. At about 1920
o'clock when Stone with two others were
walking from the lower part of the town to-
ward the saloon, a man
CAME UP BEHIND STONE AND FIRED,
The ball taking effect about the region of
the heart, and before the other men could
get up to Stone he was dead, the murderer
making good his escape.
The coroner was sent for at once and after
considerable delay found a verdict that the
deceased Homer j. Stone came to his death
from pistol shot fired from the hands of
someone unknown. The remains are now
lying in the hotel here awaiting instructions
from Stones relatives in Ohio.
Many OF Mr.. Stones friends have col
Elected at the DEMOCRAT office during the
day to learn the particulars OF the sad
affair, and all are loud in their denuncia-
ton OF the cowardly assassin. The ex-
element over the affair is still high, and
the issue OF the DEMOCRAT giving the
full particulars isanxiously awaited on
all hands. Further reports from Price
state that the little town was wild with
excitement when the horrible news
became known. AS soon as the shot was
fired
THE MURDERER FLED
And nothing has since been seen or heard
OF him. As it was quite dark at the time
the assassin could not be recognized by
the men with Stone but the words Steen
had with the murdered man and the
threats he was heard to make, together
with the fact that he has disappeared,
would fix the guilt undoubtedly on Steen.
The fact that the shot was fired from the
rear, in the dark and utterly without
warning stamps the act as that OF
\ COwARDLY FGEND.
Stones drawing his pistol in the saloon
does not figure materially, as anyone who
knew him knows that he would not have
used it. Furthermore, if the report is
correct, he only took this step when
Steen had threatened to take it out OF
his hide" and it was therefore an act
OF seli-deiense.
Homer j. Stone was best known in
this city in his capacity as Il reporter,
having worked on the ChrOnicle, DEMO.
Graf and Tribune, though he has also
tried almost every other occupation that
the country offers, Stone $ greatest fault
was that he treated others better than he
did himself, and always divided his share
OF this worlds pleasures with his friends,
lie was whole-soued man, especially
liked by those who, in newspaper Offices
with him, had learned to appreciate his
many good qualities. Those who knew
HIM best liked him best. His apprentice.
snip as a newspaper reporter was served
on the EreHing Chronicle, from which he
worked successfully and successfully ON
the DEMOCRAT and Tribune. He was n
worker, and had the faculty Of adaptinV
himself to various empoyments and TO
varied classes OF men whose confidence
ana respect he generally obtained. Al
though about 81 years Of age at the time
OF his death, he had the
IMPuLSIYENEss AND Observation-Disclosures
Oh boy. His hand was as opep 10 his
heart to the cry Of distress and IN tho
demands Of right and Justice. Possibly
nus Sympathetic and social qualities may
have led him into imprnIenrcs hnt
hardly into excess. Daily intercourse
with him for months in newspaper Iifo
lett none but kindly and appreciativc i,n o
Pressions Of him as Gentlemen liz lie
d!ed away from home and kindred bnt
ms hosts OF friends will drop tear to his
memory. and heartily sympathize with
lie leaves Il father, a brother and q sic.
Ter, who are all in the East Stone cana
west when quite Young and settled IN
Denver, Colorado, where he was for g"m"
Tune engaged in the mercantile bnsinnsg
when the d, q h. G. made IFS wa ,,', oy"r
lle mountains to this city, Stone came
with i and has never since been o"a'v
from here more than few months "t y
time, lie first went to Price some tb a, "
or ionr months ago and last visited thig
Guy ~, ABOUT two weeks since.
Ihhe murder was Il foul one. and ,,o
''a'l' was sad in the extreme. ' ''''
MONTE NpIcTn